HomeChampions LeagueSix of Bayern Munich's greatest wins over English clubs

Six of Bayern Munich’s greatest wins over English clubs

Bayern Munich take on Manchester City in the Champions League quarter-finals this week, with the Bundesliga champions in need of a miraculous recovery after heavy first-leg defeat.

Thomas Tuchel’s side were stunned during a 3-0 defeat at the Etihad, as the Premier League champions cut apart their German equivalents in a statement performance. It will take a huge performance from Bayern to turn the tie around, but the Bavarians have a rich history of beating English clubs in European competition.

Here are six of Bayern Munich’s greatest Champions League wins against English clubs.

Bayern Munich 2-1 Manchester United (2001)

Bayern Munich exacted revenge on Manchester United for their dramatic Champions League final defeat two years earlier, as the two teams met in the 2000/01 quarter-finals.

Paulo Sérgio’s late goal had earned the Bavarians a first-leg advantage at Old Trafford and Bayern completed the job with a dominant performance in the return. Giovane Élber settled nerves with an early goal in Munich, before Mehmet Scholl doubled the host’s advantage before the half-time whistle.

Embed from Getty Images

Ryan Giggs’ goal reduced the deficit four minutes after the break, but Bayern held firm to march on into the semi-finals. Seven of the Bayern starting side had begun the club’s final defeat in 1999, when United scored two stoppage-time goals to come from behind and claim the trophy in Camp Nou.

This felt like a big result as the Bavarians bounced back from that heartbreak, a win which began a run of momentum that ended with Champions League success.

Bayern Munich 3-1 Arsenal (2005)

Bayern Munich produced a convincing performance to all but end Arsenal’s hopes of reaching the Champions League quarter-finals in 2004/05.

Arsenal had been crowned as Premier League champions in unbeaten fashion the previous season, but were second-best on a miserable night in Munich.

Claudio Pizarro volleyed the home side ahead inside four minutes after a mistake from Kolo Toure, before the Peruvian capitalised on some slack marking from the Gunners to meet Mehmet Scholl’s free-kick and head home a second.

It was three-nil just after the hour as Hasan Salihamidzic volleyed home, after Jens Lehmann could only palm Martin Demichelis’ cross into the Bosnian’s path.

Toure’s response for Arsenal provided an away goal and slim hope for the return, but the Gunners were unable to salvage the tie. Arsenal edged a tight game in north London in the second leg, but crashed out of the competition.

Bayern Munich 5-1 Arsenal (2017)

Bayern Munich have proven a nemesis for Arsenal in Champions League competition and inflicted a humiliating defeat on the Gunners in 2016/17.

Arsenal were embarrassed on a chastening night in Munich, one which saw Bayern score five first-leg goals and dominate 75% of the possession. Alexis Sanchez had cancelled out Arjen Robben’s brilliant opener to leave the scores level at the break, but two goals in three minutes after the interval from Robert Lewandowski and Thiago Alcantara put Bayern in control.

Thiago scored a second to make it four for the home side, before substitute Thomas Muller added a fifth late on.

The defeat left Arsenal staring down the barrel of a seventh consecutive last-16 exit in Europe, while it set the stage for an unwanted hat-trick after Bayern had been their Champions League conquerors at this stage in both 2012/13 and 2013/14.

It was the first time that Arsenal had conceded five goals in a game since facing….you guessed it, Bayern Munich. The Germans had thrashed the Gunners 5-1 in the group stage the previous season.

Arsenal 1-5 Bayern Munich (2017)

If Arsenal thought Bayern Munich might let up and take it easy ahead of their second leg, the Gunners were sadly, sadly mistaken.

Bayern produced another performance of utter dominance to humiliate the north Londoners, who had taken the lead through Theo Walcott.

Laurent Koscielny’s red card changed the complexion of the game however, with Robert Lewandowski converting the resulting spot-kick after the defender’s dismissal. Bayern soon made their man advantage count.

Arjen Robben, Douglas Costa and an Arturo Vidal brace made it three consecutive 5-1 wins for Bayern against Arsenal, their second-half blitz scored within just 17 minutes.

Defeat for Arsenal was their heaviest at home in 19 years, while the Gunners’ 10-2 aggregate defeat was the worst any English side has suffered in the Champions League. It remains the joint-second biggest aggregate win in a Champions League tie.

Tottenham 2-7 Bayern Munich (2019)

Bayern Munich produced one of the most devastating Champions League away performances of all time to thrash Tottenham during the 2019/20 campaign.

Arsenal had been on the receiving end of some big scorelines when facing the Bundesliga behemoth in recent campaigns before it was the turn of Spurs to suffer in north London. Serge Gnabry – once of Arsenal – scored four goals on his return to the English capital in a punishing performance from the visitors.

Spurs had taken an early lead through Son Heung-min but found themselves behind at the break as goals from Joshua Kimmich and Robert Lewandowski put Bayern ahead. The second-half was a one-sided contest that saw Gnabry run riot to become just the second German to score four goals in a Champions League fixture.

Lewandowski’s second made it seven for Bayern, with this an emphatic result against a side that had reached the Champions League final the previous season. It was the first time in Tottenham’s 137-year history that the club had conceded seven goals at home in any competition and Bayern’s joint second-biggest away win in Europe.

Chelsea 0-3 Bayern Munich (2020)

The Bundesliga giants returned to London in that season’s knockout rounds and again departed with an emphatic win.

Serge Gnabry was the hero once again as Bayern beat Chelsea 3-0 at Stamford Bridge, with the winger on the scoresheet twice in a fantastic performance from the visitors.

Gnabry opened the scoring after a sharp inter-change with Robert Lewandowski, before racing onto the forward’s pass to slide home a second. Lewandowski scored Bayern’s third after tapping home from close range, following fine work down the left from Alphonso Davies.

It was a rout for the Germans, who went on to win the Champions League in historic fashion. Hansi Flick’s team became the first side to win the competition with a 100% record, winning all 11 of their fixtures with 43 goals scored.

It was also Chelsea’s heaviest ever home defeat in European competition.

Read – Five of the best individual performances in Champions League history

Read Also – Iconic Duos: Robben and Ribery – The wing wizards who defined a decade

Subscribe to our social channels:

Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube

RELATED ARTICLES
Subscribe
Notify of
guest

0 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

Most Popular

Related Posts

×